From the Pastor
Dear Peace friends,
May is a month of celebration!
Think about those celebrations that you will be participating in this month. Mother’s Day lands on Sunday, May 8th. Graduations are right around the corner—Peace will be honoring our graduates (High School and College) on Sunday, May 22nd. Memorial Day is also a special day closing out the month. Consider attending the special celebration honoring those who have served in the military and are buried in Mount Union Cemetery. The celebration will be held on Saturday, May 28th in Mount Union Cemetery in Philomath.
Alicia and I would like to extend another invitation to celebrate. You are welcome to come to our home for an open house celebration on Sunday, May 15 from 2 pm to 4 pm. Our address is 6206 SW Grand Oaks Drive. We’ll have cake and ice cream. What is the occasion? There are two! First, it’s my birthday—44 years old if you’re counting. Second, Alicia and I would like to celebrate our house with you. Just a few months into the pandemic, we were able to secure a new home that we simply haven’t been able to share with others up until this point. All are welcome. No presents—just bring yourselves!
I haven’t always been the best at celebrating. Maybe you can relate. As soon as I finish an accomplishment or a project, instead of Celebration doesn’t seem important. Celebration doesn’t seem to accomplish all that much.
The Bible, however, shares that celebrating matters to God. Luke 15 gives three stories that each describes a moment of celebration. In verses 1-3, a man is described who has lost one of his hundred sheep. When he finds the lost sheep, “he lays it on his shoulders,” and then takes intentional time to celebrate with friends (vs. 6). In verses 8-10, a woman is described that loses one of her ten coins. When the coin is found, she takes intentional time to celebrate with her friends and neighbors (vs. 9). The next story that Jesus tells in Luke 15 is the story of the Prodigal Son. A son is lost. When he comes home, the father throws a huge celebration. One of the takeaways of Luke 15 is that our Heavenly Father is one that celebrates.
Thank goodness that our God is about celebration. And isn’t it true that we’d rather be around people that celebrate than around people who’d rather not? Proverbs 17:22 speaks to this when it says, “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”
Do you have any special celebrations going on in your life? I’d love to hear about them—I’d love to celebrate with you.
In His Joy,
celebrating, I move on to the next project.
Pastor Jeremy Lucke
Peace by the Numbers
Plan for Worship
May 1 – 11:00 am Worship Service in the Sanctuary with communion.
May 8 – 11:00 am Worship Service in the sanctuary followed by fellowship.
May 15 – 11:00 am Worship Service in the Sanctuary with communion.
May 22 – 11:00 am Worship Service in the sanctuary followed by fellowship.
May 29 – 11:00 am Worship Service in the Sanctuary.
Adult Bible Study
Discipleship. You’ve probably heard that word, but might not know what it means or how it can work in your own life. A quick google search of the word disciple reveals this definition: a follower or student of a teacher, leader, philosopher. Alicia and Pastor will be sharing some simple, reproducible ways that being a disciple of Jesus can be a reality for you here and now! We’ll unpack six memorable ways over six weeks about how to be a follower of Jesus. We’ll have some fun with this—join us! The discussion will be at 9:45 am in the Fellowship Hall.
Wednesday Morning Bible Study
All men and women are welcome for a Wednesday morning Bible Study. This month we will be having Bible Study on May 11 and May 25 at 10:00 am in the fellowship hall. Our focus will be on John 13:31-35 (May 11) and John 17:20-26 (May 25). We hope you can join us.
Holy Week Thank You
Every year leading up and during Holy Week, the church makes a large transition coming out of the gray winter months and into the early days of spring. This year was no exception, and we would like to say a big Thank you to all our volunteers who helped to make our Easter season such a blessing to each of us, our families, and friends. From the many volunteers who worked inside and outside to spruce up the church, those who helped with fellowship and the Easter egg hunt, those who helped with flowers and music, plus those who helped with Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services and other numerous activities, we are so appreciative. Words are not enough to express how grateful we are for all the help we received to make Easter the wonderful season it is, and your kindness and generosity are well noted. With that in mind, consider all that Christ has done in your life and how He is committed to you 24/7/365. Please share that commitment with our congregation and our church. All the work done during Holy Week was a magnificent blessing – now let’s keep that blessing going all year long by volunteering to do the small things that make our worship opportunities special. May God bless you throughout the year!
The Return of Passing the Offering Plate
Can you believe that Peace has not “passed the plate” in our worship services for over two years?! During this time, some phenomenal things have happened. Our membership faithfully supported the ministry in a new way—via mail and direct deposit. Thank you for your commitment to our church, its mission and its partners!
“Why not continue to receive offerings the way that we have throughout the pandemic, Pastor?” That is an excellent question. And do know that it is completely acceptable to continue to give via mail or direct deposit as you may have done over the last two years.
The Offering in the service is about much more than just the vehicle we use to collect money. The Offering is a tangible way in which we say that “we are in this ministry together.” The Offering is also a part of worship—a symbolic act that we do to show our gratefulness to God for what He has done.
Be looking for this part of the service to come back on Sunday, May 8th and beyond. Also, be on the lookout for other parts of the service (Children’s Message, Praise Team) to be added in the months to come!
Communion at the Rail
Peace is offering communion at the rail this month. During the “Commune Together” moment in the service, you are welcome to come forward (bringing your communion package with you) to the rail to receive Holy Communion. You can also choose to stay in place in your pew. Once everyone is settled in place, we will commune at the same time together. Just as in the past, you will need to pick up a communion package before service to be prepared for the “Commune Together” moment. Communion will be offered on May 1 and May 15 this month.
Ladies Guild News
At the next Guild meeting on May 4th, we will be making sure that everything is ready to go for our Luncheon on May 14th, and we will be voting on some other fun events for this Summer. Check the June newsletter for a list of things to come.
Men’s Breakfast: Mark your calendar May 7th for the Peace First Saturday Breakfast. Topic this month will be from a friend of mine who is of the Baha’i faith. He is very knowledgeable in world faiths. He has taught classes and provided lectures comparing many of the world’s many faiths. Bring your questions. We are planning on having pancakes, sausage, and scrambled eggs. Coffee on at 8:00, breakfast served at 8:30 and discussion 9 – 10. Always looking for helpers in the kitchen, let me know if you can help. Please let me know whether you will be attending as this helps in getting enough food for all. Oscar Gutbrod, [email protected] 541-231-3954
Peace hosted a Red Cross Blood Drive on April 22nd and we received 30 units of blood. A big thank you to our volunteers, Diane, Rob, and Molly for making everyone feel welcome as they got the donors checked in and ready to give. The Red Cross continues to experience a shortage of blood supplies. Please consider helping by donating blood within the months of May or June. There are many available locations to donate in our area and the next blood drive at Peace will be Friday, June 24. As always, homemade goodies are welcome as well as your prayers for a successful blood drive.
The Choir is back
It was great hearing the choir again on Easter Sunday. What a blessing.
We welcome new vaccinated voices to join the ranks of the Peace Choir. Practice is Sunday mornings from 8:30-9:30.
We will be singing “We Will Come to Praise the Lord” on May 1st, “Our Awesome God” on May 22nd, and “Spirit, Come Down” on June 5 (Pentecost). After June 5th we will take a break for the summer and begin strong in the fall.
Ladies Luncheon on May 14
On Saturday, May 14, the Ladies Guild will be hosting a Spring Luncheon for the women members of Peace.
Backpack Ministry Update
The Peace Lutheran Backpack Ministry is healthy and strong thanks to the efforts of many of you- Thank you! On March 18 we had 23 people show up to help fill 82 bags full of survival gear including tarps, blankets, New Testament, socks, hats, gloves, a baggie of snack food and a baggie of hygiene items. Less than a week later, I was able to join John Borowski in serving a meal to over 100 homeless and there we handed out most of the bags. The people we met, of all ages, showed a real appreciation for our efforts both as items they needed, and the care we put into making and offering them backpacks. In addition to the 23 helpers, we have had several members, and community members, offer donations of items to put into our backpacks. A special shout-out to Carole and Oscar Gutbrod who applied for and received a Thrivent Grant through the church at large to help finance our project. Their items came in a timely manner to help with our Backpack workday. It takes a team and we have a very special one. God has blessed us in our ministry.
Like we did last Spring and Summer, we will be moving away from Backpacks and plan to donate needed items to the Corvallis Daytime Drop-in Center- a place that works to help the homeless and a place that Rob Schulze and Oscar Gutbrod volunteered at for many years before the Backpack ministry started. On April 14th we were able to make our first donation to the Drop-in-Center. The Corvallis Daytime Drop-in Center (CDDC) has a wonderful Executive Director that will email me with needs. I will pass those needs on to you and/or work to fill them myself. Last Spring and Summer, I was able to take in a donation at least every two weeks. The people at the Gleaners were able to add on some food donations where they had excess. Some of the items they will always need is jeans, shorts, t-shirts, socks, underwear, deodorant, of all sizes as they serve a community of many sizes. If you have a donation of any of these kinds of items, leaving them on my doorstep or giving them to me at church is always a great option. Otherwise, I love to shop for a deal, and do a lot of my summer shopping at the ARC on main street for items our homeless community needs or specific items that the CDDC has given to me. Some monetary donations help me to fund this deal shopping. I have been able to find some great ones…. a month ago, I found new coats on sale for $6-$10….I bought 12 thanks to a donation from a church member. Those coats went directly down to the CDDC from the Peace Lutheran Backpack Ministry. When I arrive now…the volunteers at the CDDC have said ” The Lutheran’s are in the house” (in a very happy way). I smile. I plan for the backpacks and work parties to return next fall.
Here is a list of the items that we donated to the Drop-in-Center on April 14:
I would like to add one additional project that I would ask you to help if possible. I would like to run a Sleeping-bag and Tent Drive for the next 4 months. My hope is to offer these to the homeless in the fall as the weather changes. I am not really talking about new sleeping bags or tents, but some you may have in your garage that you do not use anymore, OR if you attend a garage sale and see a clean used one that is reasonably priced and could get it for the drive, that would be great. I think tents of all sizes and shapes and sleeping bags that will generally fit an adult would be great. The items from this drive would be offered to both the CDDC and John Borowski who feeds the homeless nearly every week for the past one and a half years to give out to those in need. Donations for this drive can be dropped off at my house or given to me at church. Thank you!
Your taking part in the Backpack Ministry either through work parties, donations or prayer is so very much felt and appreciated.
Diane Crocker
541-609-0018
2223 Applegate ST
Philomath
Be Careful with Your Personal Information (part 2)
From the National Council on Aging:
The internet web can be a rich source of information, connection, and community for older adults. But as with any public space, you need to be aware of your surroundings. There are many online scams that target older adults. In 2020 alone, the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received 105,301 complaints from people age 60 and over, with losses exceeding $966 million. Cyber criminals prey on seniors because they are more likely to have money, they may have memory issues, and they tend to be more trusting.
Think of cyberspace as the freeway: you have to navigate it defensively. Just like fastening your seatbelt, using some basic internet safety practices can help ensure that your online experience is safe and enjoyable. Here are a few of the top cyber security tips:
- Don’t click on links in emails from unfamiliar senders. Be wary of strange or unexpected messages, even if they’re from people you know.
- Emails, text messages (or SMS), and social media posts can all contain malicious links. Spam or malicious emails are by far the most common method attackers use to deliver malware or phishing links. Phishing links take you to sites that gather your personal and financial information. Malware, short for “malicious software,” is software intentionally designed to damage or gain unauthorized access to a computer, server, or network. Malware has the power to destroy files and steal your personal information. It can even impact the performance of your computer.
- Here’s an example of how a malware attack works: The attacker sends you a message prompting you to click a link. The message looks professional and legitimate. It might advertise deals that look too good to pass up or convey an urgent request for information or payment. Clicking on the link downloads malware onto your system. Once your phone or computer is infected, the attacker uses your personal contact list to send out more malware directly from your account.
- How do you avoid malware attacks and phishing scams? Don’t click on links sent through email, text, and social media from people you don’t know. Be especially wary of emails urging you to go to a website and provide personal details. If a message looks suspicious but appears to be from a business or person you know and trust, check with them before clicking or go directly to their website and contact them that way. It’s not rude—it’s smart. If you want to click with real confidence, be sure to have strong security software installed on your phone, laptop, or desktop computer.
“One thing to keep in mind is that scammers always push victims into feeling like they have to act immediately. They hope to pressure victims into making rash decisions. Don’t be duped by this ploy,” said Emma McGowan, a privacy and security expert at Avast. “If you ever feel pressured to click on a link or pay some money, step back and assess the situation,” she continued.
- Don’t open any attachments unless you know the sender and were expecting them to send it.
- While attachments to an email may appear to be harmless, they could contain malware designed to launch an attack on your device. These attachments can be disguised as run-of-the-mill Word documents, PDFs, e-files, and voicemails. Don’t open any attachments you aren’t expecting or that are from an unknown contact—especially if they have the extension .exe or .zip. If the file(s) appears to be from a friend or family member, reach out to them to make sure they’ve sent you something.
- Even if you get an attachment protected with a password, that password doesn’t mean it’s not malicious, and it won’t protect you. You should still be cautious and check with the sender. This internet safety rule also applies to attachments sent via text messages (or SMS) and social media.
- Don’t respond to or click on pop-up windows on your phone or computer.
- Screen pop-ups are another way to scam older adults. A common pop-up ploy is scareware. This is a malware scam technique that uses pop-up security alerts and other tricks to frighten you into downloading or paying for fake software disguised as real cybersecurity protection. How does scareware work? An “urgent” pop-up window appears on your computer or phone, telling you that your device is compromised and needs repairing. When you call the support number for help, the scammer may either ask for remote access to your computer or request a fee to fix it.
- Another malware technique is to use deceptive “Close” or “X” buttons, which automatically install a virus when you click on them. If you’ve unknowingly downloaded scareware onto your device, delete the downloaded file immediately. It’s also a good idea to install genuine antivirus software that can remove any harmful remnants of the malware.
Internet safety for adults is important, but it doesn’t have to be stressful. Awareness is a powerful first step in protecting yourself. Another item on your personal cyber security checklist should be installing trusted antivirus software to protect you and your device. There are several reputable options available for free on the web.
Lastly, if you think you’ve been the victim of an online scam or cyber attack, be vocal about your experience. You’re not alone—and there’s no reason to feel embarrassed about what happened. Contact your local police and your financial institution if money has been taken from your account. You can also report the scam online to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
“My Bank Account” – Something to Think About
A 92-year-old, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o’clock, with his hair fashionably combed and shaved perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today.
His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready.
As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his window.
I love it,’ he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.
Mr. Jones, you haven’t seen the room; just wait..’
‘That doesn’t have anything to do with it,’ he replied.
Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time.
Whether I like my room or not doesn’t depend on how the furniture is arranged .. it’s how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it.
‘It’s a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice;
I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do.
Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I’ll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I’ve stored away.. Just for this time in my life..
Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you’ve put in.
So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories!
Thank you for your part in filling my Memory Bank.
I am still depositing.
